Captaining the Ship
by Scarlett Rogue
Summary: Everyone knows Puck is captain of the Klaine Train, but how did it begin, and what does Puck think of some of Klaine's big moments?


**Summary: Everyone knows Puck is captain of the Klaine Train, but how did it begin, and what does Puck think of some of Klaine's big moments? **

**Rated: T, probably for Puck's filthy mouth and future sex references.  
**

**Sorry about the character confusion. I didn't know whether to label this under Puck, or Kurt and Blaine. I finally decided on Klaine since the story is about them, just from Puck's eyes. Also, I will NOT be updating this very often, mainly because I have about 8 chapter fics going right now (I know, I'm horrible! I'm setting myself up for failure!). Please review anyways. It will make me so happy, like you have no idea!**

* * *

Puck wasn't really sure how it started. He still remembered the days back in his junior year (and yes, it was his junior year; his _first _time being a junior, that is) when he would lift poor, tiny little Kurt Hummel and throw him, no regrets, into a dumpster every morning. Even after he joined Glee Club he got his kicks making fun of Hummel, calling him a girl, a homo, a freak.

He was a real asshole back them.

He assumed all this began in his second junior year, when Kurt stopped acting like...well, himself.

Kurt had always been quick-tongued and witty, on edge, ready to cut anyone to pieces with his words if they started in on him. He held his head high (a little too high, admittedly; he was just a tad bit arrogant, but Puck had no right to judge him for _that_, given his own high level of conceit), walked without any hesitation in his step, and never let his eyes stray further than chin-level. All these things made it easy for jocks to hate the young boy. They didn't see him as harmless, despite how small and out-numbered he was. They saw him as a worthy fight because of his sharp personality. He never backed down, which seemed like a challenge in their eyes.

Puck used to see him that way, too. Kurt was the ultimate, on-going challenge: An easy target given his sexuality, but a fighter, a viper of the tongue. In Puck's last junior year, however, things changed.

Kurt kept his eyes trained to the floor when he walked down the hallways, flinching whenever a locker was slammed too hard, caving in on himself when he was trapped in a crowd. Even though he was growing taller, he was trying to make himself as small as possible, as _invisible _as possible. He stopped fighting Rachel for solos (to everyone's disappointment) and didn't even bother correcting someone when they made a blatant homophobic comment in Glee Club.

While most people pushed this behavior away, Puck watched it closely and mentally cursed himself. He didn't realize until that point that Hummel wasn't just fighting the jocks; he was fighting _himself_, too.

The last year he had known the boy was just an act. Kurt was one of the best actors in Glee Club, nobody could deny this. But nobody knew until now just how good an actor he was. He had pretended each day that nothing anyone said to him could stand in his way, forced himself for two years, maybe longer, to hold his head high and never show anyone how much he was hurting. His act was slipping, though. He was becoming quiet and bitter to even his closest friends, and nobody seemed to notice.

Puck sometimes wondered what would have happened if he went to Kurt and told him that _he _noticed, that he cared. Would Kurt still have transferred?

Even as Puck saw how much he was hurting, he still treated him badly. Because he had a reputation to uphold, and God forbid Noah Puckerman look like anything other than an asshole to the entire school!

"Why don't you make yourself useful and go visit the Garglers? You can have all the feathers you want!" He meant it as a joke, but the second the words left his mouth he regretted it. For one short second Kurt looked like he was done, done with all the crap and the jokes, done with _being _the joke. But he put on a brave face, muttered a bitter 'fine', and stormed out of the room. They deserved the uncomfortable silence afterward; they earned it.

But Puck knew that was how it all began. His brotherly love for Kurt started that year, and all Puck wanted was to see him happy. Happy and in love.

Because Kurt was lonely, and everybody knew that. He desperately wanted companionship, and why shouldn't he get it? If someone like Puck, who didn't deserve it, could find people who cared about him, then why not Kurt? He deserved it more than most people Puck knew.

One of Puck's favorite days of the year 2010 was a few days before Christmas, when Mr. Schuester said that he visited Kurt at Dalton. When Mercedes asked about some kid named Blaine, Puck perked up and listened.

"Oh yeah, I met Blaine! Okay, maybe met is the wrong word. We said hi. He seems like a very nice kid."

"Wait, who the hell is Blaine?" Puck asked, confused. Mercedes chimed in before Mr. Schue could comment.

"He's this _gorgeous_, incredibly nice guy that Kurt is really good friends with," she said.

"He's also kind of in love with him," Mr. Schue whispered conspiratorially.

"Is he gay?" Finn asked warily.

"Oh, he's gay alright." Mercedes smiled and pulled a picture out of her bookbag, passing it around for everyone to see. It was of Mercedes, Kurt, and Blaine. Blaine's hair was gelled down, with only a few curls peaking through, and his hand was wrapped securely around Kurt's waist. The two boys had their bodies angled toward each other, and Kurt's smile was so happy. Puck remembered this kid from The Warblers sectionals performance, and he decided something very important right then and there.

He _totally _shipped it.

* * *

**I have TWO tumblrs if anyone is interested:  
**

**nerdypuff: My personal blog, where I obsess about Glee, Chris and Darren, and Matt Bomer and White Collar. Honestly, those last two are eating my blog. yummmm.  
**

**collectivetherapy: Advice blog. You ask me questions, I give you advice. My friends have been telling me to be a psychologist for years, and I finally took their advice. Please follow that, it's new and my ask box is way too lonely.  
**

**Alright, that's chapter 1! I'll have the next chapter up soon. On a side note, ever read the story "What the Hell is a Slytherpuff?" No? That's because I deleted it one week after it was up because about 50 people favorited it but not one person bothered to review. Please, PLEASE don't make me have to delete this, too. I get tired of doing things for nothing.  
**


End file.
